The directors of the merged Australian Retirement Fund and the Superannuation Trust of Australia have gone for an easily recognised brand for the new 1.1 million member, $20 billion entity — AustralianSuper.
The directors announced in Melbourne yesterday that they had selected AustralianSuper as the new name for the fund after commissioning Richard Henderson to undertake the re-branding exercise.
Announcing the change, the chair of the new fund, Geoff Ashton, said the merger had not simply been aimed at creating the largest superannuation fund, but at utilising its size to deliver improved superannuation products and services to members.
He said that as of July 1, members would have access to an extended range of 15 member investment options, along with substantially improved insurance products, with in-house retirement income products also on the agenda.
The super fund announced that Gregory has been appointed to its executive leadership team, taking on the fresh role of chief advice officer.
The deputy governor has warned that, as super funds’ overseas assets grow and liquidity risks rise, they will need to expand their FX hedge books to manage currency exposure effectively.
Super funds have built on early financial year momentum, as growth funds deliver strong results driven by equities and resilient bonds.
The super fund has announced that Mark Rider will step down from his position of chief investment officer (CIO) after deciding to “semi-retire” from full-time work.